👋 Hello hello hello!
I’m thrilled to share that Season 15 of Salt + Spine premieres today and we’ve got a wonderful guest. But first, if you’ll indulge me on a personal note for a minute: I’ve moved to Italy! 🇮🇹 Two months ago, my family and I relocated to Bologna, where I’m working toward my MBA in Food & Wine at the esteemed Bologna Business School. It’s an exciting adventure—especially uprooting two young children 🤪—and I’m very eager to follow this new, delicious, and challenging path.
We’re coming off a short publishing break this summer, which allowed us to launch an exciting new venture under the Salt + Spine umbrella: Cookbook Fest!
This first-of-its-kind festival, presented with our friends Just Add Salt, Feast It Forward, and Feed Your People, brought together 1,000 attendees to hear from 50+ top cookbook authors, food podcasters, editors, publishers, photographers, designers, and other professionals. From main-stage podcast recordings of shows like The Sporkful and Copper & Heat to culinary demos from authors like Tyler Florence and Martin Yan, to a whimsical Book Village in partnership with Omnivore Books (and much more), we truly brought the year’s cookbooks to life!
Shout out to some fellow Substackers on our talent list at Cookbook Fest this year: Bricia Lopez (From Oaxaca), , , , , Illyanna Maisonet (
), , , , , , and .And now, this week’s show:
Episode 167: Lara Gilmore
This week, Lara Gilmore joins me to discuss Slow Food, Fast Cars, the latest book from her and her husband, chef Mossimo Bottura.
The book tells the story—through photography, essays, and of course recipes—of Casa Maria Luigia, the boutique inn (albergo) opened by Lara and Mossimo in 2019. Once here, a restored 18th-century villa offers a dozen guest rooms, uniquely decorated with art from Lara & Massimo’s personal collection.
From there, the property unfolds: meticulously landscaped orchards and vegetable gardens supply the casual kitchen, led by Osteria Francescana alum Jessica Rosaval, and the on-site restaurant, Francescana at Maria Luigia, where Rosaval and team offer a nightly tasting menu showcasing nine of Massimo’s most iconic dishes. Nearby is the “playground,” where you’ll find a pool table, a gym, and most visibly Massimo’s collection of cars and motorcycles.
And Casa Maria Luicia breathes the region, down to every detail: guests staying on the property will find hunks of Parmigiano Reggiano and bottles of Lambrusco greeting them in their rooms.
This dichotomy of fast/slow appears often in Massimo’s work. Perhaps most known is his dish, Five Ages of Parmigiano Reggiano, which has been an evolving presence at Osteria Francescana for decades. “It’s about celebrating the slow passing of time,” he tells Forbes, “with a fast and contemporary mind.”
In Slow Food, Fast Cars, you’ll find recipes like:
Gnocco Fritto, the classic Emilian fried dough, in this case topped with mortadella, whipped ricotta, and extra-aged balsamic vinegar. (“Once you join the fraternity of gnocco fritto,” the authors write, “it is very hard to turn back.”)
Smoked Beef Short Rib, a less traditional way of addressing the short rib cute in Modena, but one that at Casa Maria Luigia is paired with a sauce built from smoked fresh apricots and marigold vinegar.
Tiramisu, an “untouchable classic” that the team serves in small, individual-sized glass jars to guests.
An ML Pantry section that offers infused waters (Fennel Water!), preserved fruits (Amarena Jam!), and other conserves, oils, vinegar, liqueurs, and salts.
🎙️ | We had a great chat with Lara—and of course, we put her to the test in our signature culinary game! Find this episode here on Substack and anywhere you get your podcasts.
🇮🇹 | Want to hear more Italian authors on Salt + Spine? Dive into the archive with Elizabeth Minchilli (and her daughter, Sophie!), Stacy Adimando, Kristina Gill, Vicky Bennison, and Katie Parla.
Slow Food, Fast Cars: Casa Maria Luigia – Stories and Recipes by Massimo Bottura and Lara Gilmore
Welcome to Casa Maria Luigia, Massimo Bottura and Lara Gilmore's idyllic guest house in the Italian countryside. Lara Gilmore and Massimo Bottura - the renowned chef behind three-Michelin-starred restaurant Osteria Francescana - designed Casa Maria Luigia to celebrate the hospitality and wonderful, earthy cuisine of Italy's Emilia-Romagna region. …
Slow Food, Fast Cars captures the extraordinary sensory and culinary experience of staying at Casa Maria Luigia. Created in close collaboration with Lara and Massimo, the book collects 85 authentic, accessible recipes for breakfasts, brunches, and all-day snacks, including frittatas and focaccias, salads, cakes and pastries, jams and preserves and more.
We 💚 local bookstores. Pick up your copy of Slow Food, Fast Cars here:
This week, subscribers will receive two featured recipes from Slow Food, Fast Cars:
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Pear and Coffee Cakes
Cheers,
Brian
Lara Gilmore on building an Italian hospitality powerhouse